The Cape and the Wolf
by khaleesimaka
Summary: Since she was a little girl, Maka was told the cape would keep her safe from the creatures that lived in the forest, and that's what she continued to do every day until she didn't. Red Riding Hood AU


_Wear the red cape, and you'll be safe._

Those were the words her grandmother had always told her, but her keep safe from what she never knew. Years had gone by since she was first given the cape with no explanation, but once she turned fifteen, she grew curious. When she poked the elderly woman for more information, the only good that ever came out of it was a snide comment about the cold weather. That the cape would keep her warm, but nothing else. With her parents long gone, Maka had no one else to ask about the mysterious reason behind wearing the long, red cape. So filling in the blanks was left to her own imagination.

When she was younger, Maka liked to pretend the cape was part of a secret pact with the nonexistent wolves that lived in the woods. They were the same, familiar woods she traveled through countless times to go to the next town over. Growing up, her grandmother told her stories about mysterious creatures who liked to devour little girls that lived in there. Once upon time, she believed the elderly woman and her mad stories to the point where the creatures haunted her dreams. Their long claws, big teeth, and large ears followed her as she walked down the path toward the little town, causing her heart to beat wildly.

But, as she grew older and braver, Maka came to realize that there were no such creatures that lived in the woods. The only animals that resided there were the woodland creatures who had always been curious of the blonde girl with the red cape.

It wasn't until everything about Maka Albarn's life changed that she finally understood the reason for wearing the red cape.

* * *

><p>It was a cold winter's morning when the mysterious man entered the restaurant that she worked in. He opened the door, letting the freezing air and snow drift inside. Maka turned around to scold him for it but her words caught in her throat. She had never eyes that were as blood red as his or hair that was as white as the powder that coated the ground outside. Even the tone of his skin was different compared to the people in town. While everyone remained pale like her since sunlight was rare where they lived, his entire body looked like it the sun had kissed it.<p>

Maka watched as his gaze scanned the occupants who were sitting in the restaurant - they were completely oblivious of the new arrival - before he took a seat at a table in the farthest corner. The customer she had been helping tapped her on the shoulder, pulling her out of the trance she was in. After pouring the woman more coffee, the waitress made her way to the back of the counter. She picked up a menu and then proceeded to serve the new man in town.

"Hi, welcome to Granny's Place. My name is Maka, and I'll be your waitress today. May I start you out with a drink?" She gave her normal spiel when met with a new customer along with her most sweet smile.

He released a low chuckle that reminded her of a gruesome growl. But right as his crimson eyes turned up to look at her behind white bangs, it was wiped from her mind. Her heart gave a small jolt, and she found herself being more aware than usual as she hoped her pigtails were still in place and not ruined by the hood of her cape. It was ridiculous; she had only met the man and already she was acting like a dog in heat ready to jump the first thing in sight. Mentally scolding herself, Maka tried to find composure once again. She tried to pretend like the man sitting before her was just another villager, nothing more.

"Granny's Place? Maka? This town sure has cute names for things. Almost like I stepped into a fairy tale or something."

Shit. It was going to be harder than she thought as her cheeks flushed at his words and her heart began beating even faster.

"Excuse me?"

He averted his gaze from hers before responding. "I mean I've never been to a town like this before. Everything's so different."

"Are you new here?" she asked, fully aware of the answer already. It was a small village and everyone knew everyone so when someone new came to visit, it was always obvious.

The man leaned back in his chair and gave her a shy smile, hiding his teeth from her view. "Is it that obvious?"

His tone was playful - the complete opposite of his appearance - and she found herself slowly starting to warm up to him. Based on first impressions, hers of him wasn't the best. She had originally assumed he was one of the evil creatures her grandmother used to talk about when he walked in, but now she saw he was a normal person. The fears of her childhood had come back to haunt her, but once again, they proved to be false.

"A little, but it's because we don't really see any new people around here."

"That's because you guys are all the way out in the middle of nowhere that's cold as balls." At her surprise to his language, he quickly added, "excuse my language. Like I said, I'm not from around here."

"Right." She licked her lips. "If you don't mind me asking, what brings you here?"

"I don't think we're at that level of friendship yet," he said as he handed back the menu. "I'll just take a coffee, thanks."

Taking the menu, she nodded without bothering to pry further on the subject. It was perfectly clear that the conversation was over, and she didn't see any reason to push him further. Usually when people passed through the village, they didn't stay long and she could only assume neither would he.

She spent the rest of her shift, serving her regular customers which included the mysterious man. She made small talk with everyone in the cafe except for him. He remained silent each time she refilled his cup, his gaze observing those around him as if he were calculating their every move. Maka found it interesting to watch him as he sat there in the wooden chair. His movements reminded her of a cautious animal as it stalked its prey or kept a keen eye out for anyone who disturbed him. It was silly of her to think it, but for some odd reason she felt as if one of the wolves from the stories she heard when she was younger had come to life and was sitting at the table in the furthest corner of the restaurant.

Hours passed as he sat there continuing the same routine, and she remained serving him until it was time for her to clockout. As she put away her apron and bid her manager goodbye, she found the man standing by the door as if he were waiting for her to leave the entire time.

"Were you waiting for me to leave?" she asked.

"Thought you might know of a place I could stay for the night seeing as you're the only who's bothered to talk to me since I came here."

"Well there aren't any rooms in town that you can rent out. Willow Creek is more of a town people pass through rather than stay. But, my grandmother has an empty barn on her property that you're more than welcome to stay in."

"Grandma won't mind then?"

"She shouldn't, considering she's not here anymore."

The man's Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed and nodded. "Ah, I'm sorry for your lose."

"It's been two years so don't worry the pain isn't as strong anymore," she smiled. "So is that a yes?"

"Sure. Lead the way."

Maka reached out to grab his hand and lead him out of the restaurant, into the blistering cold. Once they were outside, she dropped his hand almost immediately. What surprised her the most was that there wasn't any hesitation from him as his fingers wrapped around her palm. She was surprised, however, by the electricity that shot up her arm at the small action. Never before had a man had this sort of effect on her body, and the whole experience was frightening and exhilarating at the same time. In the back of her mind, she was curious to know what else her body was capable of, what other things was a man's touch able to do to her.

They walked down the familiar path of the woods, the one she had taken every of her life. The sounds of the woodland animals softly made their presence as they went in deeper. Birds chirped out their songs from the trees above their heads, frogs croaked from the pond that was hidden deep beyond the trees, and owls talked amongst themselves as they hooted from their perch. Branches cracked beneath their boots and rocks skidded across the dirt as one of them accidentally kicked it.

It was nice and calming to be walking through the woods with a companion. Soul's steady breathing hit her ears as he walked beside her, enough space between them for another person to fit. However, the quiet between them also struck a nerve within her; Maka had never been a big fan of the dark or the stillness that came with it.

After a while, she broke the silence between them. "Just so you know, it isn't normal for a man to wait for a young girl he barely met that day. It's considered a little creepy. Especially when she doesn't know his name."

"Soul." At her inquisitive look he elaborated. "Soul, it's my name. How old are you anyways? You don't seem that young."

"I turned eighteen in April."

"I'm twenty so you aren't that young."

"It's still creepy, Soul."

"I'll keep that in mind for next time, then," he said.

"Well, we're here," she said as the log cabin that her grandmother had left her came into view. "It isn't much, but it is home. Here I'll show you where you'll be sleeping for tonight."

Maka led him to the small barn that resided next to the house, and lit a lantern as they entered. It smelled of straw and horses even though it had been a while since a stallion or mare had lived in there. She had to sell both of the animals a year ago when times for her had been hard and money was tight. While her grandmother was a sweet old lady, she didn't have many riches to her name. The only source of income for elderly woman was the restaurant back in town that she had sold to one of the men.

"I'm sorry for the smell, but it's the best I can do for you considering the short timing. I'll bring you down some sheets, a pillow, and a warm blanket from the house, though. That way you can survive the night out here."

Soul nodded as he looked around him before turning to smile at her. "It's nice. Thank you for doing this for me. I really do appreciate it."

"You're welcome." She returned his smile and stared at him for a while, noting the few scars that caressed his face like crescent moons. In the short time she had known Soul, already she felt close to him - like they had known each other a long time ago. The tiny flutter of her heart told her something new was happening between them, and she was excited to see what it was.

After bringing out the warmest blankets and softest pillows she could find, Maka readied herself for bed as she always did. However, tonight she did something she had never done before: she slept without the red cape on. With meeting Soul, she felt like it marked a whole new beginning in her life, and that new beginning did not revolve around listening to the silly teachings of elderly woman.

Hugging her pillow close to her, Maka's dreamed of white snow blowing around her and Soul as they stood in the woods together, embraced in each others arms. There were no creatures around them, and the woods were silent. It was only the pair of them. Her heart was ready to burst from her chest as their lips met, and warmth spread through her body. Soul moaned her name against her lips, and his fingers gripped her closer to him. The last thing she remembered hearing before she woke up was the faint sound of a howl from somewhere far away.

* * *

><p>It had been two decades since the last wolf attack, but that night it found its way into the small village of Willow Creek. The wolf's stomach rumbled and it's growl was deep as it searched everywhere for its next meal. Luckily for the people in town, no one had decided it was good night for a midnight stroll. There were no drunks stumbling back home, never to make it as they crossed paths with the wolf. Instead, the creature tore up the livestock of Miss Farley who lived at the edge of town. Feathers were strewn around, blood stained the snowy ground, and a trail of the crimson substance led deep into the woods.<p>

By morning, the townspeople were worried about the attack and frantic as they tried to place the blame on others. It wasn't until Miss Farley noticed the claw marks on her gate and the teeth imprints on a discarded body that they all realized what had happened.

For some reason, the wolf from the tales of Maka's grandmother had come to life and it was out for blood.


End file.
